Improvement in machines for cutting shingles



G. H.-DEGRAW.

Machine for Cutting Shingles. No.165,3l3. at tedJu|y6,I87.5.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. DEGR AW, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND REUBENO. GROVER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING SHINGLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 165,313, dated July 6,187 li ation filed May 17, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. DEGRAW, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements inMachines for Cutting Shingles; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a machine for cutting shingles, tub and pailstaves, and other articles, from blocks of wood fed vertically tohorizontally-revolving knives or cutters.

The invention consists in a novel construction, arrangement, and.combination of a revolving table, one or more knives or cutters, one ormore adjustable bedplats, and one or more adjustable aprons or chutes,whereby the parts are adjusted to regulate the thickness of the shingle,stave, or other article, to cut with either tapering or parallel sides,and to prevent split-ting or tearing of the wood during the operation ofcutting; also, in the combination, with the feed-port, of a thrustplate,as hereinafter particularly described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a top view of a machineconstructed according to my invention, with a portion of the coverremoved. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken on the line at a ofFig. 1.Fig. 3 is an under-side sectional view, taken onthe line 4 3 Fig. 2.

A represents a frame-work of any suitable construction, in the lowerportion of which is a step-bearing, a, for the lower end of a verticalshaft, B, having its upper end provided with a bearing in the upper partof the framework. The shaft 13 carries a revolving table, 0, providedwith gear-teeth for engagement with a driving'wheel, D, on a shaft, E,which may be provided with fast and loose pulleys e f. The wheel 0 hasits upper side divided into four sector-shaped parts, two of which areeach equal to about one-sixth of the circumference, and arediametrically opposite each other, and the other two are each equal toabout one-third the circumference, and are opposite each other,intermediately between the two first mentioned. At one edge of each ofthe narrow sectors is' a slot, 0, extending from the hub c to the rim 0of the wheel or revolving table, one side of the slot being tangentialto the hub, and the other side radial thereto. The tangential side ofthe slot on the under side of the table is cut away, so as to incline itin a direction opposite to that of the revolution of the table, for thepurpose hereinafter described. Over each of the slots 0 is a knife orcutter, G, which is secured to the wheel or table by means of straps 9,one at each end. The ends of the knife rest in depressions at the endsof the slot, and the straps g are placed over the end of the knife, eachstrap being fastened with three screws, y", two of which passthrough theends of the strap into the table or wheel, and the third one passesthrough the end of the knife or cutter midway between the ends of thestrap, and into the table or wheel.

The seats for the ends of the knife may be provided with a packing ofcloth, felt, rubber, or other soft or elastic material; or the seats maybe spread with puttyor cement of a suit- 7 able character, which willharden after being exposed, so as to form a rigid and solid bearing forthe ends of the knife. In either case the knife is placed andpermanently held in position with its upper side exactly on the samelevel with the upper side of the narrow- :est sector-shaped portion ofthe table. Between the narrow sector-shaped portions on the upper sideof the Wheel or table, the entire space forming each of the widerportions is recessed to a considerable depth. In each of these recessedportions is a plate, H, corresponding in shape, and fitting nicelytherein. Each of thcseplates is provided with a series of set-screws, hpassing downward loosely through the plate, and engaging with tapknivesare adapted to cut shingles or otherarticles with tapering sides, or tocut pieces with their sides parallel, such as staves for tubs and pailsor other similar articles.

hen used to cut shingles one of the plates is adjusted to inclinedownward toward the center, and the other is adjusted toincline downwardtoward the circumference, by which means the proper tapering form isgiven to each shingle as it is cut.

Whether the work is to be cut with taperin g or parallel sides theadjustment of the bedplates regulates the thickness of the work bygoverning the distance below the edge of the knife to which the blockfrom which the work is cut is allowed to descend.

To the radial side of each of the slots 0 in the table 0 is attached anadjustable angular apron or chute, consisting of a metal plate, J,attached to the vertical side of the slot by means of screws 41 passingthrough slots j in the plate, so as to be capable of verticaladjustment. The upper edge of the plate is bent at an acute angle for adistance equal to nearly one-half of the width of the slot 0, and theupper side of the bent portion is nearly parallel with the lower side ofthe knife. This plate, thus arranged, forms an apron for the protectionof the lower side of the shingle or other article as it is cut by theknife, and'also serves as a chute to guide the work through the entirewidth of the slot, by which means the shingle or stave is effectuallyprevented from being split or torn in the operation of cutting it. Inthe upper part of the frame A is a feed-port, consisting of a box orcasing,

K,'with both its top and bottom open. This box is attached to across-bar, k or any other suitable part of the frame, with its sides andends strictly vertical, and serves to guide the block of wood from whichthe shingles are out. In the exterior of the feed-port, on the sidenearest to the cross-bar or other part of the frame to which it isattached, is a vertical thrust-plate, L, arranged to admit of verticaladjustment by means ofscrews passing through slots in the plate, bywhich means it may be adjusted with its lower edge close down to theupper side of the knife, or slightly above the same, as may be founddesirable. M represents a dummy or follower, consisting of a solid blockof cast metal, of corresponding shape with the feed'port, butsufficiently smaller to allow it to work freely and loosely therein, andprovided with lugs or projections to prevent it from falling so low inthe feedport as to interfere with the cutters Gr.

The operation is as follows: The wood from which the shingles or otherarticles are to be cut is first sawed into blocks of any convenient orsuitable width, and of a length and thickness to enable them to easilydrop into the feedport K, with the grain of the wood in the samedirection as the length of .knife and the apron J, which prevents itfrom being split or torn, and thence passes to the inclined portion ofthe slot, which guides it through the slot, from whence it drops to thelower part of the frame, or to a receptacle provided for it. After eachcut the block of wood rests upon the narrow or highest sectorshapedportion of the table 0 until the rear edge of said sector passes theblock, when it drops to the bed-plate H, and is ready to receive thenext stroke of the knife. When the machine is used for makingshingles-the knives being inclined in different directionsone knife cutsa shingle with its thin end in one direction, and its thick end in theopposite direction, and the other knife reverses this direction, bywhich means the entire block of wood is utilized, and waste of materialis avoided. When used for making staves or other articles with parallelsides, both knives are adjusted exactly alike. The blocks of wood areplaced in the feed-port, one upon another, and when the last block isplaced therein the dummy or follower M is placed upon it, and serves tofollow it down and hold it in position to receive the stroke of theknife.

The machine constructed and operating as above described may be used forcutting kindling-wood, or for making other articles than shingles andstaves. There may be any suitable number of cutters and'theiraccompanying aprons or chutes, according to the size of the table; butit will be found preferable to arrange them in pairs, especially formaking shingles.

What I-claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the revolving table 0, knives Gr, andadjustable plates H, of the adjustable aprons J, substantially as andfor the purpose herein described.

2. The combination, with the feed-port K, of the adjustable thrust-plateL, arranged as shown and described.

cnoncn H. DEGRAWQ Witnesses:

MICHAEL RYAN, FRED. HAYNEs.

